Superior Court Judge M. Christine Allen-Jackson has granted a new trial for Russell Bouse Jr., 42, formerly of Washington Township. Bouse was found guilty in March 2012 of sexually assaulting the girl, who was 16 at the time of the alleged incident. The court refers to her as RG.

The accused was once director of television programming for Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees. He had moved to Indiana by the time of his conviction.

In her decision, Allen-Jackson wrote that new evidence, not available during the initial trial, had come to light. In particular, Bouse's attorney, Vincent J. Sanzone, submitted a taped conversation in which his niece, Nitza Dones, insists the assault never took place.

The conversation with Bouse’s wife, Annabelle Bouse, took place July 17, 2012 — about four months after the guilty verdict. In it, Dones also says RG made sexual advances on her the night of Bouse’s alleged assault.

Dones claims the teen later stalked and intimidated her, causing her to fear speaking in her uncle’s defense.

According to testimony at trial, RG fell asleep next to Dones on the night of the alleged assault.

Authorities had said Bouse encouraged RG to “chug” alcohol that night after he drove her and Dones to his apartment.

RG testified that she awoke later that night to Bouse molesting her. According to a summary of the case by Allen-Jackson, testimony further held that the 16-year-old walked home the same night with Dones and her twin brothers and told her mother what she would later tell prosecutors.

Allen-Jackson wrote that the statement by Dones warrants a new trial, in part, because it could bring about a different verdict if submitted as evidence. She further wrote that Dones was hospitalized with a health issue when she would have been called to the stand, although the defense did not move for a postponement.

The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office plans to appeal the judge’s decision, according to its spokesman, Bernie Weisenfeld.

Weisenfeld on Wednesday released the following statement from the Prosecutor’s Office:

“We respectfully disagree with the judge’s ruling. This alleged new evidence comes from the defendant’s niece, who testified previously about this incident.

“At trial, the jury believed the minor victim who testified that the defendant ... provided her alcohol and sexually assaulted her. The jury’s guilty verdict should be upheld and we are, therefore, appealing this decision.”

Bouse was represented by Sanzone in his motion for a new trial. His attorney in the first trial was Carl Poppler.